Water for use in buildings or other structures is typically provided through a water line which supplies water to the building from a water source, such as a municipal water provider or well, for example. In a typical installation, water enters the building via a main or primary supply line and then branches out within the building via secondary lines to various fixtures (e.g., faucets, toilets, spigots, etc.) and/or appliances (e.g., clothes or dish washing machines, ice makers, water heaters, etc.). A shutoff valve is typically provided to shutoff flow from the water source to the structure. Such shutoff valves are often ball or gate valves that can be manually actuated when water flow is to be shutoff.
Automated water shutoff systems have been developed to automatically close the shutoff valve in the event of a leak or flooding condition. Such systems generally include an automated valve and one or more sensors positionable in various locations to monitor and detect the presence of water. For example, a sensor may be placed near a water heater to monitor the space around the water heater for leaks. When water is detected, the sensor triggers the automated valve to close.
Such systems generally require one or more professionals for installation. For example, a plumber may be needed to replace an existing manual shutoff valve with an automated valve. Thus, typical systems have not traditionally been considered suitable for do-it-yourself installation by, for example, a typical homeowner.
Attempts have been made to retrofit existing manual shutoff valves with an actuator to thereby convert a manual valve to an automatic valve. Such attempts, however, have generally had limited application for various reasons. For example, a wide range of shutoff valve types and installation configurations make it difficult to develop a one-size-fits-all actuator. Previous actuators have required the installer to precisely position the actuator relative to the shutoff valve to ensure proper operation. This can be difficult for do-it-yourself consumers depending on the particular existing shutoff valve arrangement. Thus, installation of such prior art actuators still is not a task within the skills of a typical do-it-yourself consumer.